Question: A person that I jointly (either as a joint tenancy or community property with right of survivorship) owned real estate with has passed away. Do I have to file anything with the government?
The fact that you held it as “joint tenancy” or as "community property with right of survivorship" may mean that you can avoid probate proceedings, but it does not mean that the paperwork is 100% completed without some extra steps taken on your part.
Anytime there is a death of a property owner, the assessor's office in the county in which the property is located must be notified of the death. This Change in Ownership Statement gives the government the information necessary to decide, among other things, important issues such as taxes.
For example, in Los Angeles County: "The Assessor’s Office must be notified upon the death of an owner within 150 days of the date of death, or if the estate is probated at the time the inventory and appraisal is filed. The Change in Ownership Statement Death of Real Property Owner Form (BOE-502-D/ASSR-176) is required to be completed and submitted to the Assessor’s Office, even if the decedent held the property in a trust."
